Waivers are one funding stream for services. By braiding together multiple funding sources, such as local county board of developmental disability levy funds and Ohio Medicaid benefits,
a person with developmental disabilities may be able to have their service needs met without a waiver.

How do people get on the Waiting List if they are not on it?

Currently, anyone can request to be on the Waiting List. There is no tool to...

How do people get on the Waiting List?

Currently anyone can request to be on the Waiting List. There is no tool to assess need and no eligibility criteria.

That means that Ohio’s Waiting List today includes people who do not need developmental disabilities waiver services, or infants and toddlers who will be supported by Early Intervention and will not need waiver-funded services until they are adults. This has inflated the number of people on the Waiting List and has made it more difficult for people who have a current need for waiver-funded services to get access.

What if my needs are met now, but I need something else later?

Today, Ohio’s waiting list could be viewed as a “just in case” option for people...

What if my needs are met now, but I need something else later?

Today, Ohio’s Waiting List could be viewed as a “just in case” option for people who think they might need services in the future. This means that people can be on the list for years without receiving waiver services, even if they need services during that time. The proposed changes to the Waiting List give families the option to ask for help when they need it and require county boards to follow up with people on the Waiting List regularly.

I want a different waiver than my current one. Should I be on the Waiting List?

You may not need a different waiver to get the services that you are seeking. Often...

What if I want a different waiver than the one I have now? Should I be on the Waiting List?

You may not need a different waiver to get the services that you are seeking. Often, a person on the Waiting List who asks for a specific waiver funding stream, such as an Individual Options or IO Waiver, is currently accessing services to meet their needs through a combination of other funding streams. People can request additional or new services through their waiver and their service and support administrator or SSA, can explain if another waiver is necessary to fund those services or if other funding is available.

The department is working to provide more and improved information about waivers and services to help people better understand their options with or without a waiver.

What are people on the Waiting List actually waiting for?

The goal of the Waiting List is to identify people with unmet needs so that new resources...

What are people on the Waiting List actually waiting for?

There is a lot of confusion about the Waiting List, and there has been some misinformation that has directed people to request to be added to the Waiting List, even if they are receiving the services they need.

Currently, the Waiting List captures the names of people, and possibly the priority status, of anyone who requests a waiver or requests to be added to the Waiting List, even if their current needs are being met.

The goal of Waiting List redesign work is to identify people who currently have unmet needs that could only be addressed through waiver funding and to be able to address the most urgent or significant needs in a more timely manner.

Your county board of developmental disabilities will work with you to access resources to address your immediate need.That might include using unpaid supports, local and community resources, county board funding, or waiver enrollment.

Because waivers are only one funding stream to pay for services, your county board of developmental disabilities will work with you to braid together resources, such as unpaid supports, local and community resources, county board funding, or waiver enrollment.

Your county board of developmental disabilities will work with you to provide additional services and funding as your needs change.

To better serve Ohioans with developmental disabilities, the department initiated the process of simplifying the Waiting List for home and community-based waiver services and to improve access to resources and services.

Stakeholders representing people with developmental disabilities and their family members, guardians, providers, advocacy groups, and county boards of developmental disabilities in partnership with the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities are developing changes to Ohio’s Waiting List that simplify the system to better reflect unmet
needs and more efficiently direct supports to people and families who need them most.

​ ​DODD's stakeholder workgroup currently includes

Lori Horvath, deputy director of the DODD’s Division of Medicaid Development and Administrative Services talks about the Waiting List stakeholder workgroup.
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